A racket of voices suddenly rose on the still little island. Kou Tong and Huang Jinchen, two people who had been branded with the Seed, at last used the abilities they had gained through harsh training on this enormous seed. 

Huang Jinchen had already amply understood the frightfulness of animals. An owl standing on the tip of a branch with its eyes flashing, a rat running through the underbrush, the crows that came from nowhere, even the seabirds by the sea could ignite the omnidirectional murderousness shining off him like X-rays. 

Dr. Kou was also amply aware of Master Huang’s ability to fire in bursts, each shot a hit. As they ran, all birds and beasts fell. Only close up could the sound of the silenced gun rubbing through the air be heard. From his tensed back and sides, Kou Tong could see that Huang Jinchen was currently in some very keyed up state of mind. 

It was this same gun that had once sent the RZ Unit’s most agile Su Qing fleeing through the streets and alleys. Now he had become a destructive killing device in this little island’s ecological environment. No one knew which of these creatures flying through the air or running over the ground were ordinary animals shot while innocent and which were made of paper and belonged to the “Burrowing Little Spy Alliance,” whispering into each others’ ears. 

They heard massed footsteps. Kou Tong and Huang Jinchen turned and ducked into the trees. A team of armored knights came their way in the moonlight. Huang Jinchen silently raised his gun, but Kou Tong frowned and raised a hand to press the muzzle of his gun down. 

“What’s wrong?” Huang Jinchen asked. 

“I suspect that these aren’t people. They can’t be killed,” Kou Tong said quietly. “Wait, let them pass. Don’t alert the enemy. We’ll test it if we meet a solitary one.” 

Huang Jinchen didn’t answer. He stood there unmoving, holding his gun. For a moment, Kou Tong practically couldn’t hear the sound of his breathing, as if he had merged with the surrounding forest scenery. 

Finding a solitary knight was very difficult. Kou Tong had just noticed that each group of knights had ten people to a group. They were very uniform. They were not only the same height, even the height to which they raised their arms as they walked was absolutely identical. 

Kou Tong thought that if these were real people, if they were all put together, even their own mothers wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. 

When a crowd of knights had gone by, Huang Jinchen quietly squeezed out a sentence: “Do they team up even to go to the toilet?” 

Kou Tong looked up at the soft branches hanging down from the big willow tree next to him. 

Huang Jinchen continued: “One person calls time. One, two three—everyone pulls down their pants together. One-two-three, everyone gets out their dicks together. Then, on your marks, get set, and—piss!” 

“Do you mind, brother?!” Kou Tong carefully pulled down a willow branch and used a pocket knife he was carrying to cut it off.

“What are you doing?” 

“Anti-cavalry measures. Done it before?” Kou Tong said in an almost inaudible whisper. “I’ve noticed that the height they raise their legs to when they walk is all identical. I think we can use this to make them stand ‘at ease.’ It would be best if we could knock down these creatures that travel in lines and take our chance to run away.” 

Huang Jinchen watched him proficiently cut willow branches, then tie the pliant branches together with unusually beautiful technique. At a glance, it was clear he was a practiced hand. Huang Jinchen couldn’t resist asking, “You even know how to do this?” 

Kou Tong put on a smirk. 

Huang Jinchen watched a while longer, then commented: “It’s clear to see, doctor, that though you look respectable in your white coat, in fact you must have been a naughty, pilfering, wretched child who would stop at nothing.” 

“…Help out already!” 

“OK…” 

The two of them quickly finished fastening the simple “anti-cavalry measure” and shrank back to lie in wait, awaiting a windfall. 

Soon, not having found their targets, the team of pursuing “knights” turned around and came back. Kou Tong waited for the first one to come close and patted Huang Jinchen on the back. Huang Jinchen, like a stupid dog incited to make trouble by a mischievous cat, with a stupid smile on his face that made you want to slap him, gave an excited tug…

The first knight fell. Because their team was too closely crowded together, the second was quickly tripped by the first, the third kicked the leg of the person in front and also went sprawling…and so the whole line fell. The last one was the most unfortunate; even his head fell off. Huang Jinchen and Kou Tong looked that way, wide-eyed—there was absolutely nothing under that armor, only air. 

The strangest thing was that these empty armor shells turned their heads in unison to look at the two of them. 

Huang Jinchen said, “Ah!” 

Kou Tong patted Huang Jinchen on the back. “Enough ‘ah’-ing, let’s run!” 

Huang Jinchen put his gun over his shoulder and jumped up. The two of them bored into the woods. 

Just then, all of a sudden, came the roar of a wild beast that seemed to emanate from the depths of some cave. It shook the ground of the whole little island. 

Kou Tong abruptly raised his head and saw the body of a beast on the castle, faintly visible by the white moonlight… No, it was two beasts. The other one was too dark; it could be overlooked as part of the background. 

Huang Jinchen muttered, “How come it looks like the Sphinx has a twin? Anyway, didn’t it get its nose knocked off by Napoleon?” 

“It’s not the statue of the Sphinx. It’s an actual sphinx,” Kou Tong corrected. 

Then a rumble came from afar following the beast’s roaring. An enormous chariot came towards them. A man whose upper body was human and who lower body was made of stone was stuck in the middle of the chariot, traveling forward relentlessly in disregard of traffic regulations. Wherever the chariot passed, all plants were crushed. 

“The Chariot…” Kou Tong said quietly. 

“That thing’s more badass than a tank!” Huang Jinchen said, sighing with emotion. Then he wailed mournfully, “That’s not fair, why do they have so many props?! I only have a pile of guns.” 

Kou Tong casually said, “Clearly your imagination is insufficiently rich.” 

Huang Jinchen turned his head to look at Kou Tong. “And you don’t have anything.” 

Dr. Kou said, “My imagination was eaten by a dog.” 

As he said this, his expression was unusually anguished, and his footsteps paused. Huang Jinchen looked in the direction he was looking and immediately felt a pang in his stomach as well. 

Right in front of them, millions upon millions of crows were beating their wings against the wind as though holding a meeting under the moonlight, soaring into the sky in orderly fashion. The Magician didn’t walk a normal path; his often suspended form appeared in a place with the light at his back. 

To the left, an enormous wing slowly lifted off the ground. An animal with a figure like a little dinosaur slowly raised its goat-like face. It had a long tail, but beneath its body were uncoordinated birdlike skinny little legs. It held a torch in its hand and made a gesture like a lucky cat raising its hand, standing guard like a small mountain. 

The worst of it was to the right. The fashionable young girl Qin Qin who was planning to make Dr. Kou her kept man, leading her empty shell underlings, was fearlessly and actively drawing close. 

Huang Jinchen said, “Comrade, we’re surrounded.” 

Kou Tong said, “I’ve noticed.—What should we do, surrender?” 

“Crap!” Huang Jinchen looked disdainfully at him. “How can you come to terms with imperialism so easily? I’ve truly misjudged you!” 

Dr. Kou asked, “Do you have an idea, Martyr Huang?” 

“Communicate first,” Huang Jinchen said. 

Kou Tong nodded. “And then what?” 

“Then see whether we should surrender.” 

Kou Tong: “…” 

Qin Qin’s steps stopped. Huang Jinchen and Kou Tong stood back to back, one holding a gun, the other holding a fruit knife. Compared to the other side’s gorgeous battle array, they seemed a little tragically destitute. 

Kou Tong sighed. “Qin Qin, I told you, I have urgent business. What do you even want?” 

“I want to lock you up!” Qin Qin said furiously. “You actually dared to betray me!” 

“He’s a nasty piece of work, enough unhappy love affairs to make a compost heap,” Huang Jinchen said. “Miss, hear me out, there are so many fish in the sea, why do you have to pine for this one?” 

Kou Tong thought, You little…

Qin Qin extended a finger and pointed at Huang Jinchen and coldly said, “Kill him first.” 

As soon as she spoke, the ground at Huang Jinchen’s feet suddenly fell away. The two of them simultaneously jumped to either side. A chain had reached out of the ground. It was wrapped around the winged monster’s foot as though living, writhing and trying to choke Huang Jinchen. 

Huang Jinchen frowned, kicked the chain away, then shot at the monster’s forehead. 

The monster cried out. It seemed that the injury was limited. The chain began to writhe even more wildly. 

Next, Huang Jinchen shot at its eye. The enormous eye burst like a lightbulb. The chain reared up high, then came pelting down at Huang Jinchen. 

Huang Jinchen’s attack had come off smoothly, so he was planning to follow up with another like it. But before he could shoot, he was surrounded by countless eye-catching volunteer crows. 

Kou Tong didn’t have another lighter, and Huang Jinchen had gone out in a hurry—he had forgotten to bring one!

The chain brushed past him and fell to the ground, making a hole over a meter deep. The monster was furious. 

As Huang Jinchen was bitching and moaning and Kou Tong’s dialogue with Qin Qin had come to nothing, all of a sudden, a mirror took shape between the two of them. It gave off a powerful light. All the crows scattered when the light touched them. 

Huang Jinchen turned his head to look. “He Xiaozhi?!” 

He Xiaozhi was standing in front of the mirror. For a second, he stared blankly. Then he saw the abundant scenery on the other side of the mirror. His fearful gaze fell on the big monster. He quickly extended a hand towards Huang Jinchen, reaching out of the mirror. The teenager’s voice seemed to be cut off by something. Somewhat indistinctly, he yelled, “Come quickly!” 

Huang Jinchen, who had just complained of not having props, was delighted. “Kou Tong! An Anywhere Door!” 

Kou Tong was amazed. “How could… How did he do it? Warping time? That’s impossible. Within the same dimension, the equations ought to be…” 

“We can calculate it at home, stop babbling!” Huang Jinchen grabbed Kou Tong with one hand and reached for He Xiaozhi’s extended hand with the other. The moment the two of them entered the mirror, there was a loud, clear sound. Kou Tong managed to look back and found that the mirror had been hit by the monster’s chain. Its whole surface shattered. 

He Xiaozhi screamed briefly. The three of them simultaneously fell into darkness. 

They fell down and down. After a long time, they finally saw a faint light. Then their feet touched the ground. He Xiaozhi’s legs went weak, and he fell over. Kou Tong held him up while looking around—this was a small country manor, endless open fields surrounding a small log cabin with dewy roses poking up from the fence. In the yard was a tree with fruit that glowed. 

“We’ve crossed over again? No way,” Huang Jinchen said. 

Kou Tong knew that he wasn’t just talking nonsense—the feeling of “landing” really was too much like their experience of the spatial dimension changing.